


Bullseye

by bbyyoda



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Not Canon Compliant, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:35:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26255755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bbyyoda/pseuds/bbyyoda
Summary: After a bad breakup and a complete personality change, she unwittingly finds herself as an Avenger. She wants to let herself open up to love again, but will someone from her past ruin everything she's built for herself?
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Reader, James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader
Comments: 3
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter 1

It was a strange set of circumstances that had led you to where you were today. Maybe things would be different if you hadn’t had an epiphany that you wanted to “be your own person” and move away from your family to start a new life in New York City. You might not be here if you hadn’t stumbled into a man named James in Central Park and fallen into a whirlwind romance that had ended disastrously. You’d become so attached, so enamored, that you didn’t know who you were without him. No, you probably would not have ended up here if you hadn’t then had a post-breakup breakdown that led to a complete personality change, allowing you to discover a unique set of...skills...you never knew you had. 

The first trip to the shooting range had been cathartic. A way to let off some steam and release the pain and anger of being broken up with. He gave you little to no explanation, simply telling you it was done and he was leaving. Your heart had shattered like glass, the shards splintering and piercing into your very soul. You had entwined your entire being to this relationship and it was being ripped out from under your feet. You weren’t looking to fix yourself. You were looking to find yourself. 

You felt pure power the first time you pulled the trigger and felt the kick of the gun pulse into your shoulder as you released the breath you didn’t know you had been holding. The silence that followed the gunshot was also unexpected. The instructor was hard pressed to believe that you’d never shot a gun before since the bullet had pierced right through the bullseye of the target that had hung a few yards away. A lucky shot, maybe. But when the rest of the magazine was unloaded and the hole at the center of the target only grew, you knew you’d found your calling.

You soon became a staple at the range and you’d garnered some attention from a less than favorable crowd. They’d whisper about the master marksman who happened to be attached to a pair of tits. The fact that you could hit any bullseye with any gun from any distance was always overshadowed by the fact that you were female.

It was surprisingly easy to distance yourself from your life and become the woman the men at the range assumed you to be. “She must be a trained killer.” “Who do you think she works for?” “Don’t stare too long, don’t want the mafia showing up at your door.” It made you laugh, but you trained. You fought. Like a caterpillar cocooning itself, you had a metamorphosis. You wanted to show them that they should be afraid of you, not whatever fictional organization they assumed you worked for.

The first time you took a life was purely an accident. At least that’s the official story. The police didn’t need to know how you’d been hired by an anonymous source to take out the leader of a child trafficking ring. You didn’t need to be asked twice. The money didn’t matter as much as being able to put your skills to good use. So you dressed up, disguised yourself as one of the blonde bimbos he liked to surround himself with and let him ogle you at a ridiculously priced club. Then, when he got a little too handsy in the alley out back, you shot him. It was self defense. Honest. The police seemed to accept that, and didn’t ask too many more questions. You’d taken a criminal off the streets. 

You didn’t like being involved with the police though. So the next few tasks, you did from a distance. Rifles were a special kind of thrill. One shot. One kill. You ordered your weapons and ammo from the dark web. You were untraceable.

You’d become something of a mercenary for hire. You didn’t want to be attached to any sort of organization. Not any of the ones that had been offering anyway. It was nice to be able to do a job, collect the money and move on, never staying in one place for too long. You got to travel the world, something that your ex had promised, but never made good on. Good riddance. But it always felt like there was something missing.

Returning to New York had been a vacation of sorts. A break from the guns and blood and violence your life had become. You didn’t realize the moment your boots hit the ground at JFK, you had eyes on you. 

That leads you to your current predicament. 

The ride up the elevator was quiet. The woman at your side had her eyes trained at the doors, as if you weren’t standing right beside her, wrists handcuffed behind your back. You hadn’t really had time to ask where you were going before you were blindfolded and gagged and thrown into the back of an SUV, yet she still made it a point to introduce herself when you were dragged into the lobby of an enormous building, somewhere outside of the city if the length of the drive was any indication.

Maria Hill seemed like the type of woman who was not to be trifled with. The sleek lines of her body betrayed the muscles that were poised to attack. So trying to overtake her to make a getaway was out of the question, despite the fact that the armed goons had remained downstairs. 

The doors opened up and she grabbed you by the elbow, ushering you to what looked to be a shooting range the size of a football field. You stared in awe at the holographic targets that bobbed and weaved around the room. A wall at the end of the room held an array of firearms, trunks filled with ammo lined up beneath. It was heaven. 

“Nice isn’t it?” the timbre of a deep silky voice filled your ears. “You wanna try it out?”

You turned to the man, eyes wide with wonder and nodded, wishing the fabric between your teeth could disappear so you could tell this man just how deeply you wanted to try it out.

“Hill, won’t you relieve our guest of her restraints? I think she wants to play.”

“But sir-”

“Right, right yes. Where are my manners,” you turned to face him, “Y/N, welcome to SHIELD. My name is Nick Fury, and I assume you are already acquainted with Agent Hill. We’ve been watching you for some time Ms. Y/L/N.”

You cocked an eyebrow at him.

“It tends to land on our radar when a seemingly ordinary civilian suddenly displays the skills you seem to have acquired overnight.” You grunted in response. “Now, the first task we sent you on was something we’d had planned for a while. Agents were stationed near you on the off chance something went awry.”

Your eyebrows furrowed in concentration. The anonymous source. Of course. How else would a nobody like you have gotten a job like that out of nowhere?

He continued, “However, we weren’t expecting you to make a habit of it. We’d like to offer you a position here at SHIELD. We could use someone with your skillset to help out on one of our more, specialized, teams. You’d be a great asset here.”

That must have been a cue for Hill, because she removed the gag from your mouth and muttered, “Don’t try anything stupid” as she released the cuffs.

You huffed as you rubbed away the ache in your wrists.

“So what is this? Like some sort of job interview? Hate to break it to you, buddy, but I didn't apply. I’m perfectly content with the life I have currently.”

You ignored Agent Hills eye roll and directed your gaze at Fury, arms crossed. The eye not hidden by the patch he wore over the other twinkled with amusement.

“Well then. I guess that’s our cue to go, isn’t it, Hill?” he turned to the woman, then back to you. “Of course, that’ll mean you don’t want protection from the people that have been looking for you anymore, right? But you’re a big girl. I’m sure you can take care of yourself.”

“What are you talking about? Who’s looking for me?”

“Oh you didn’t know?”, he gave a mirthless laugh, “You’ve killed some very powerful people, Y/N. You thought you could just kill with no repercussions? You may be a great shot, but you’re too new, sloppy. You didn’t do your research when you took all those jobs. We did. You see, when someone pays you to do something, they kind of assume you won’t turn around and kill them.”

“Oh no.”

“Oh yes.”

You attempted to swallow the lump in your throat. He was right. You were way in over your head. How could you be so stupid? You didn’t know anything about this world. This life. Yet you jumped in head first into a pool full of sharks. You got cocky, and now you had to choose. Choose to continue on your own, making mistakes that could cost you your life, or take the offer presented and give some sense of structure to your less than legal activities. 

“Alright, what do you want me to do? How do I do this?”

“Easy there, don’t get ahead of yourself. Remember the team I mentioned? Well, they want to see what you’ve got before they decide if they want you.”

“But you said-”

“I know what I said. Now I’m saying this,” he jutted his chin towards a window in the upper corner of the room. It was tinted, but you could see the shadowy figures looking down at you.   
“These people do things you wouldn’t believe. Our agency takes on more than just your petty criminals. Do it right, or not at all. There’s trained agents who would jump at an opportunity like this. Don’t make me regret pulling you in here instead of them. Consider this your audition. Pass or fail.”

Hill walked over to the wall and handed you a gun. She moved back to the wall and placed a few more on the table nearby, along with multiple rounds of ammo. You noticed the bullets were different, probably dummies to prevent you from getting any ideas of shooting the people in the room with you.

“Impress me.”

You didn’t have to be asked twice. Your fingers expertly gripped the gun to you, your eyes floating to the moving targets. Adrenaline thrummed through your body as the sound of shots firing filled your ears. Nothing else mattered as each of the holograms “shattered”. The digital shards disappearing into the ground. You were right about the bullets. Each one of them disappeared into puffs of dust after colliding with the holo-targets.

You didn’t know how much time had passed, but it wasn't enough for you. You had cycled through each of the guns you could feel near you, emptying out the clips in quick succession before you soon heard the click of the last empty magazine. 

You took a step back, chest heaving with the remnants of your adrenaline rush. You saw movement out of the corner of your eye and saw another hologram, this one containing a sort of profile of you and diagnostics of your activities in the range, a pulsing line displayed your now calming heart rate. You’d be a little worried at the invasion of privacy if you weren’t so amazed by the tech.

You turned to see Agent Hill biting back a smile, “You’re in.”


	2. Chapter 2

The next few weeks went by in a flash. You moved into the compound, and slowly met your team. Earth's mightiest heroes. It was surprising to say the least that the Avengers wanted you. They had multiple assassins on the team and an archer who you’d heard to be just as deadly. What could you possibly bring to the table that they didn’t already have?

You didn’t want the flash and notoriety that came with being an Avenger. What you wanted was to prove yourself worthy. As the de facto leader of the team, you spent a lot of time with the Captain.

Steve Rogers was everything you’d assume he would be. Righteous and strict, while also being charismatic and kind. He took you under his wing and trained with you, citing hand to hand combat as being a necessary skill when guns were unavailable. You couldn’t fault him there and you’d take whatever coaching he would give you.

You became close to Sam and Natasha, sparring with them and heading to the range for target practice. It also helped that they were so close to Steve, so they tagged along and gave you pointers while he coached you. But there was one person you hadn’t been able to meet yet. Someone that would walk out whenever you’d step in the room. Like a shadow in the corner of your eye, you knew he was there, but he was gone before you could say a word.

James Buchanan Barnes.

Of course you knew about the Winter Soldier. Who didn’t? Steve Rogers long lost best friend, found brainwashed and conditioned to kill.

You’d asked Steve about him a few times, why you hadn’t met him, but Steve always had an excuse. Bucky was too busy. Bucky was heading out for a mission. Bucky had plans. It was a load of bull. You didn’t know why it hurt you so much, but it did.

You finally got your chance one day at the gym. It was a particularly rough session with Natasha. She wanted to teach you some of her signature moves, not believing you when you said your thighs were incapable of incapacitating a man like hers could. Sam had offered to spar with you when he walked in, fully unaware of what you had been training for. The eyebrow raise and tight lipped smile from Natasha told you not to clue him in on it either. 

You expertly dodged the punches and jabs Sam was throwing, and ran full speed at him, launching yourself in the air and wrapping your thighs around his neck, the twisting of your body shoving you both to the ground and ending with his head in a leglock.

“Ok, one, no fair. Two, I could get used to a view like this if you know what I’m saying.” Sam’s eyebrow wiggle and smile telling you that he was joking. You slowly detangled yourself from him as you heard slow claps coming from behind you.

“Not bad, Y/N”, came Steve’s smooth voice, “Nat’s teaching you well.”

The smile across your face faltered as you turned to look at him. Standing next to Steve and looking straight out of an Abercrombie catalog was Bucky, shirtless and covered in a sheen of sweat. The look he was giving you sent a jolt through your core. He looked to be sculpted from marble. The shine of his metal arm glinted under the overhead lights and you fought every urge in your body to bite your lip. Despite your resolve to not let yourself fall into another man’s arms so easily, your body reacted to his appearance. Traitor.

Bucky’s voice finally broke your trance. “Come on Steve, we should hit the showers and leave the girls to their training.”

“Fuck off Cyborg.” came Sam’s muffled response from where he was facedown on the mat.

“You boys planning on going to Tony’s party tomorrow night?” Their gazes moved to where Natasha sat. “I hear Tony’s got some barrels of Asgardian booze ready for ya. You know how I love when you get drunk, Steve. That bartop dance really was something.”

Steve’s hearty laugh echoed through the room, “Wouldn’t miss it. How about you, Y/N. You gonna join us, doll?”

“Oh, I didn’t even know there was going to be-”

“Of course she's going,” Nat waved him off, “Y/N’s gotta explore the pool of eligible bachelors SHIELD’s got to offer, don’t you?” 

You could have sworn you saw Bucky’s form stiffen, but dismissed that thought as him just wanting to get away from the conversation. He seemed antsy and ready to bolt, his muscles tight and ready to pounce. Oh you’d let him pounce on you in a second. Yeah you’d let him--

“Y/N did you hear me?”

Your head shot up at Natasha’s voice. How long did you zone out for?

“I said, we’ll go to the party together. I can be your wingwoman for the night.”

“Oh uh, sure.”

“I think you guys better call it quits for the day. Y/N looks a little out of it.” Steve’s voice sounded concerned. 

“Yeah I think I might have worked her too hard, but she likes it rough, don’t ya Y/N,” came Sam’s teasing tone.

“Oh shut up, Sam, the only thing you work on is my nerves,” you fired back. His laugh sent him from his seated position backwards onto the mat. The chuckle you heard coming from Bucky’s direction was unexpected. His eyes twinkled with delight and for the first time, he smiled at you. 

“Don’t hurt him too badly, doll. Birdbrain needs all his strength to get through getting turned down all night tomorrow.”

“Hey!” came Sam’s protest.

A party. Friends that were your own. This is what you had been looking for right? All that time ago? You each parted ways and you made your way to your room, hoping to god you could find something to wear to a Tony Stark party.   
________________________________________________________________

You were woken the next morning by a loud knock at your door. Who could possibly have anything to say to you at this godforsaken hour? You grumbled as you rubbed the sleep out of your eyes. The time on the alarm clock read 11am telling you that while still technically morning, it wasn’t exactly too early for someone to be looking for you.

Your current lack of energy was all your own fault. You had spent the previous night combing the internet for something that could be delivered overnight while also being presentable enough for an event like the one you would attend tonight. 

Natasha had filled you in on the details the day before on your ride up the elevator. Tony was hosting another one of his gala’s for some cause or another. SHIELD agents along with the avengers would be in attendance, along with politicians and agents from other government agencies. It was a black tie event with a price tag to match. Nat had offered to lend you something from her closet, but you declined, stating that you definitely had something you could wear to the event. 

You didn’t. 

God you were so screwed. Nothing that was near acceptable would be shipped to you in time. You had resigned yourself to coming up with an excuse not to go. Bad sushi would do it. You would not admit to Natasha that you had nothing to wear. You weren’t that kind of girl.

You opened the door to your room ready to let whoever was there know that you couldn’t attend when you realized there was nobody there. A garment bag lay neatly on the floor with a note attached that said, “Saw this and thought it’d look great on you.”

You took one last look around the hallway before picking it up and bringing it into your room. Natasha must have known. She knows everything, after all.

You unzipped the bag to find a black gown, with a sheer, corseted top and layers of chiffon blooming underneath. The material twinkled like a starry night as you moved it. Tiny specks of silver glittering along the fabric. 

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, you hung the dress in your closet and went back to bed, feeling more prepared than ever for whatever the night had to offer.


	3. Chapter 3

You stood next to Natasha in the elevator, ready to head up to the party. It reminded you of the day not so long ago when you stood in a similar elevator, leading you to the events that gave you this life. 

“So are you gonna make a move on Barnes?” Natasha’s voice shook you out of your reverie.

“What?”

“Barnes? Beefcake Bucky? Are you gonna make your move? I saw the way you were eye fucking him at the gym.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you lied.

“He was eye fucking you too, ya know. And I’m pretty sure he was jealous as hell of Sam.”

“Why would he possibly-”

“He was staring daggers at him when he saw you straddling his neck.”

“We were just training,” you put emphasis on the last word, “and besides, Bucky has barely said two words to me since I got here, and even if he had, I’m not sure I’m ready for a relationship.”

“Who said anything about a relationship? We’re trying to get you laid. I know he likes you. You intimidate him. He doesn’t know what to do with that. The first day we saw you, he couldn’t keep his eyes off you. Look, if you don’t believe me, you have nothing to lose with what I’m about to proposition. Flirt with Sam tonight. Or Steve. Hell, flirt with Clint, but only if Laura’s not here. Flirt with anyone, but Barnes. You’ll see just how much he wants you.”

“Fine. If only to prove you wrong, and also to get some free drinks.”

“It’s an open bar, honey.”

You were fully prepared to go through with it. What did you have to lose? If he was interested, well, then you could put those scenarios you’d been daydreaming about to the test. And if he wasn't? Well, maybe somebody else would be. 

The elevator doors dinged and opened up to the party in full swing. Tony Stark definitely knew how to throw a party. You saw him in a group nearby and made your way over to him, introducing yourself to his wife, Pepper Potts. Natasha steered you away soon after, leading you to the bar where Clint sat with Sam. 

“Well, well, well. Look who decided to finally grace us with their presences,” Clint crooned. “Nat by the way Fury’s been looking for you. Something about an agent and a broken nose.”

“Ah, yes, well. Wouldn’t want to keep the boss waiting, right?”

Sam and Clint stumbled into comfortable conversation. It was like you had known them your whole life. The stories they told were amazing, depicting a life so unlike any other you’d known. This was your life now. You’d soon be a part of those memories, and it was something you didn’t realize you wanted so badly.

The laughter and booze flowed freely. You’d forgotten all about your earlier conversation with Natasha, when Steve and Bucky walked up to your group, looking deliciously clad in black suits. 

“You three look like you’re having a good time.” Steve smiled.

“Oh well these two are just regaling me with the tales of their heroics. Did you know Clint could shoot a bow and arrow? You’d never guess lookin at the little guy” you joked, his pout making it worthwhile.

“Yeah well if I hadn’t seen it myself I would have believed the stories of your skills. 36 kills in just under 3 years? Not bad, Y/N.” he let out a low whistle, “but I heard this was a recent development. What made you get into this life?” he asked.

Your eyes darted to Bucky before dropping your gaze to the ground. “Well, I mean. Saying it out loud now, it sounds so dumb, but...I was dumped,” you looked back up at Bucky, the intensity of his stare surprising you, “I didn’t know who I was anymore. I had already cut all ties with my past life when I came to New York, and I let him become my life. I fell too hard too fast, and when he ended it, I didn’t know what to do. I went to the shooting range to try and blow off some steam, but I realized I liked it. Really liked it. Not only that, but I was actually really good at it.”

“More than just good from what I’ve seen.” Sam said while rubbing soothing circles on your arm. You didn’t miss the way Bucky’s gaze was locked on the action.

“Yeah, well, I guess it’s what I was meant to do. I took the jobs that I did because I was good at them. I only kill criminals. I never thought I’d get a chance like this, but now that I’m here, I feel like I’m where I’m meant to be.”

“Well I’m definitely looking forward to working with you,” came Steve’s professional tone. Ever the Captain.

The men continued on with their conversations and you felt yourself drift into comfortable silence. You were enjoying just being around them. Even Bucky was joking around with Steve and Sam. You caught a wink from Natasha who was across the room chatting with an agent. 

Oh, right. The plan. You were supposed to be flirting. Finding nobody else you felt comfortable with, you leaned further into Sam and dragged your heel up his calf, his arm coming around to embrace you. You felt a little bad for leading him on like this, but you wanted to test the theory. It must have done the trick because Bucky’s eyes began to burn. His gaze seething, like he wanted to rip Sam apart for touching you. Why would he possibly be jealous? Why would he want you?

Unfortunately, Nat was right, as she always is, and Sam was oblivious. You had to find a way to get out of this before anyone ended up hurt. Luckily nobody else had noticed the look on his face.

You removed Sam’s arm and saw Bucky visibly relax. You walked over to his side and were about to speak when you heard a high pitched giggle coming from your right. You turned to see a woman draped over the lap of a man, shiny rock on her left finger on display as her hands carded through his hair. His back was to you, but something about him felt so...familiar. 

A lump in your throat grew as you felt your feet carrying you over to them.

You looked back and saw the men in your group eyeing you with confusion as you placed your hand on the man's shoulder and whispered, “James?”


	4. Chapter 4

You let out a shuddering breath as the man turned to face you. Emotion washed over you in waves. Anger. Frustration. Pain. This man had hurt you. Had made you believe you’d be together forever. He built you up and became your whole world when you had nothing else, no one else. And then he ripped it all out from under you with not so much as an explanation. 

Your feet were frozen in place. Why was he here? Who was she? Was he engaged? The thoughts traveled through your mind a mile a minute, punctuated by the thumping of your broken heart. It was like it had been kick-started again the moment you saw him, the sound pulsed in your ears like an 808 drum. 

“Y/N?,” he laughed, “What are you doing here?”

Your lips parted and shut, the ability to speak evading you.

How were you supposed to speak? What were you supposed to say? You’d rebuilt yourself completely, from the ground up. Like a phoenix, you’d brushed yourself off after your emergence from the ashes of your heartbreak--the heartbreak he’d put you through. You were no longer the girl he knew. No longer the broken woman he’d left when he walked out of the door. You were so much more. 

“I-I work here. What are you doing here?” your eyes flitted to where his fingers were entwined with the woman who still sat on his lap. “And who’s your friend?”

“Where are my manners,” he moved to stand, forcing the woman to stand with him, “this is my wife, Alexis. Alexis, this is Y/N. An old...friend.” 

Your eyebrows shot up and you eyed him quizzically as you shook her hand.

She quickly turned back to James, “I’m going to say hello to some friends, honey, and give you two a chance to catch up.” Her hips swayed as she sauntered away, “Once again, a pleasure to meet you, Y/N.”

His eyes remained glued to her figure until she was lost in the crowd. The moment she was, though, it was like a switch had been flipped. Gone was the charming smile he’d flashed when he initially saw you. Now, his face was a mask of coldness. His features frozen over in a scowl. He gripped your arm and steered you behind a large sculpture, effectively hiding you from view.

“What the FUCK do you think you’re doing here?” he spat, “Are you stalking me now or what?”

Your eyebrows furrowed as you stuttered out, “I-I told you. I work--.” 

He cut you off, “Here? Sweetheart, we both know you’re not good enough to get a job here. What are you banging one of the Agents?”

He moved closer to you, his figure loomed over your body. “I thought I made it clear when I left that I didn’t want to see you again, now, here you are, weaseling your way into a Tony Stark party. Only SHIELD agents and their families are allowed here,” his hand gripped your chin, fingers pressing roughly into your cheeks. “You’re obviously still not over me. How pathetic.How the hell did you find out I worked for SHIELD?”

“I swear I didn’t know. I work here. I just got hired, I--”

“I said STOP. LYING.”

You closed your eyes, praying for the courage to do something, anything to get him away from you. You needed a miracle. Then, the sound of a Brooklyn drawl sounded out from behind the sculpture, “I’m sorry is there a problem here?”

James’s hands dropped from your face, the release sending you stumbling back against a wall. Bucky rounded the corner and eyed the scene, crossing his arms as his eyes narrowed.

“Not at all. Just having a friendly chat.” James lied. 

Bucky let out a humph and nodded. “Yeah, yeah. Right. Tell me, agent…” he paused and looked at James expectantly.

“Edwards. James Edwards, sir.”

“Do you know who I am Agent Edwards?”

“Yes, Sergeant Barnes.” James visibly shrunk as he backed away.

“So you know who I work with. What I’m capable of,” He paused and flexed the fingers of his metal arm, “Don’t EVER get near Y/N again. Don’t talk to her. Don’t look for her.” He moved his arm out, beckoning you over.

James stood, dumbfounded as Bucky stared him down.

You found the strength to move forward and clasped your hand in Bucky’s. He pulled you into his chest and wrapped his arms around you. “Thank you,” you whispered and you felt him nod over your head. 

“So that’s it then? You’re the Winter Soldiers whore?” the venom dripped from his voice.

That was the breaking point. You saw red. How dare he treat you this way? You felt the shackles breaking free and you could finally be free from the constraints of his love. You finally realized that even after all this time. After all the work you’d done, you’d still let him have so much control over you. You’d let him back you into a corner, literally and figuratively, and for what? 

You felt the collision between his nose and your fist before you really realized what had happened.

“I’m a goddamn Avenger. That’s why I’m here. And you’re nothing, James. Have a nice life.”

You focused on moving one foot in front of the other. Ignoring the curious faces of your teammates at the bar that had, no doubt, wondered what the hell had transpired. You ignored the ache in your hand and moved towards the elevator. 

You heard the faint sounds of someone calling your name, but you couldn’t bear to turn around. You would walk out of here with your head held high.

____________________

You wiped off the last of your makeup before the sound of a knock permeated your door.

“Go away Nat, I don’t wanna talk about it.” you yelled.

And you didn’t. What was there to talk about? You’d begun this evening attempting to end up in someone’s bed and you ended it right back where you were all those years ago. 

How did you let yourself fall back into that pit of despair? How did you give James so much power and control over your life that you let him walk all over you? You felt weak. So fucking weak. So what was all the work you had done for? Where was the stone cold killer when you needed her? 

The knocks sounded louder. 

You huffed and moved to the door, swinging it open to find Bucky, a bag of ice in his hand. 

“Figured you’d need this after punching that jerk,” he chuckled, “Mind if I come in?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, but I was having trouble figuring out how to move this story in the direction I wanted it to go. Hope you like it (:

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. This was supposed to be a short one shot and I kinda let it get out of control. Not beta'd, so sorry for any mistakes.


End file.
